


Everything Speaks

by Jadynof9



Category: Star Trek: Picard
Genre: Crew as Family, Everyone Loves a Picnic, Fluff, Gen, Hope, No beta ain't nobody got time for that, Warm Fuzzies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:54:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26641768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jadynof9/pseuds/Jadynof9
Summary: Picard reflects on the impact his past actions have had. And of course, Raffi has to throw in her two cents.
Relationships: Raffi Musiker & Jean-Luc Picard
Comments: 5
Kudos: 14





	Everything Speaks

**Author's Note:**

> I needed to write something light and hopeful. I needed to remember that even the small actions we take have an impact. I needed to remember that even if we can’t see it in ourselves, someone somewhere can look at us and see it – whatever “it” is.
> 
> I assume Picard probably needs that every now and then, too.

It was a rare event for all of them to be planet-side at the same time, much less altogether. But he was glad for it nonetheless. Perched as he was on a surprisingly comfortable boulder nestled just below the crest of a small hill, he could see the others scattered about next to an idyllic lakeshore. He was merely observing of course, knowing full well the rowdy bunch could take care of themselves with astounding efficacy. No, there was little need for protective fathering here (not that it stopped the instinct from existing). Instead, he watched their interactions with some fascination.

Agnes, for all her insecurity and tormented memories of recent tragedies, was smiling brightly, almost beaming with an innocence that certainly didn’t exist when he first encountered her in Okinawa. And that innocence seemed to be reflected in the gruff features of the otherwise sullen freighter captain, Rios, who currently smiled softly at her animated storytelling.

Soji, so tortured by her admittedly terrifying identity crisis, bantered freely and with an almost childish exuberance. Brushing hair behind her ear with a slightly downward glance, and dare he say the dusting of a blush on her cheeks?, she responded to some quip from the ever innocent Elnor. The young Romulan warrior had also undergone quite a change, far more often having bright expressions adorn his visage even as he was affectionately teased by his crewmates for social and cultural mishaps.

Lounging casually on a tree branch of all places, Seven of Nine rested peacefully, keeping watch over the others with an alertness that Picard knew was second nature to her. However, he could not deny a softening to her constant awareness, a warm affability becoming more commonplace within her standard aloofness. Not that she wasn’t still incredibly attentive and, ultimately, dangerous if the situation called for it. But the transformation could not be denied, particularly when one caught her unawares with a certain former officer of his.

“Enjoying the view?” said XO inquired as she approached from behind. Picard turned his gaze to find Raffi approaching with a sizable basket hanging on the crook of one arm, other arm carrying a folded blanket.

“It _is_ a rather peaceful scene, isn’t it?” he responded with a smiled before tilting his head toward her supplies. “I thought you had gone to the ship for a holo-imager?” She rolled her eyes.

“I did, then was shanghaied by Mr. Hospitality who immediately deduced that anything that required photographic evidence clearly also required his touch, so…apparently we’re now having a picnic,” she explained, raising the arm carrying the aforementioned provisions. Picard laughed gently before turning back toward the vista.

“It’s not a terrible idea. Quite wonderful to see everyone enjoying themselves, actually.”

There was no immediate response, to which Picard raised no question. They so rarely had the opportunity to just _be_ , something he knew Raffi understood and valued from their days together before everything ended so tragically. They would share and appreciate these moments, the scattered incidents of happy faces amidst the sea of lost and forlorn displaced, the intermittent occasions of returning to a refugee site to see happily playing families…the quiet, heartfelt thanks for safety and a chance at life. Yes, it was important to appreciate these moments, lest they all vanish in the blink of an eye.

“You do realize you did this, right?” Raffi eventually spoke, moving to stand beside his rocky seat. He turned toward her, puzzled. “I’m guessing you were so set on saving the galaxy and recovering from actual death,” this with a pause and shiver in Raffi, and a slight twinge of guilt from Picard at the reaction, “that you completely missed what your hare-brained scheme did for the rest of us.”

“Raffi,” he drawled, skepticism plain on his face. “I dragged all of you through near annihilation, almost started an intergalactic incident, and likely traumatized the lot of us for years to come. If anything, all of you are the heroes of the story, surviving the ramblings and ego-centric whims of an old admiral with a bit of a savior complex.” Raffi looked to be contemplating his statement before shrugging with an impish smirk.

“I won’t argue that.” He gave her an exaggerated look of exasperation, to which she gave a single laugh before they both smiled. “We wouldn’t have gotten there without you, JL.” She turned to gesture with her free arm toward the crew. “None of us would have come in contact if you hadn’t gotten that insane idea in your head that you needed to do something about Dahj. Yeah, you scared the shit out of us more than once…you also saved every last one of us.”

Picard followed her gesture, considering. Certainly she was overstating his role in this? Raffi, seeing the furrowed brow, sighed in affectionate resignation.

“Look, JL, I may not be able to speak for everyone else, but I can at least say…for as upset as I was to see you again that day…JL, I actually feel like life is worth living now. If you hadn’t strolled back in, even if it was selfish and self-serving,” she offered him a pointed look, softened it with a smirk, “I don’t know if I ever would’ve found _purpose_ again. I wouldn’t have found…” she trailed off before looking down toward the Ranger. As if detecting the gaze, Seven turned and locked eyes with Raffi. The matching smiles warmed Picard’s heart. Unable to hold back a smitten sigh, Raffi shook her head gently and turned to look back at her erstwhile commanding officer.

“Don’t sell yourself short, JL. You gave us all a family again.” She clapped him on the shoulder before heading down the hill.

Picard watched, mouth slightly agape. Raffi called to everyone as she approached, displaying the picnic basket. Seven nimbly leapt from her perch, placed an arm around Raffi’s waist when she reached the OPS officer’s side. As the others approached, she reached out and ruffled Elnor’s hair playfully; Elnor for his part beamed at her as if she had just given him a prized possession. Soji playfully poked Rios’ ribs as he rolled his eyes gently at Elnor’s reaction, then treating Soji to an overdramatic reaction, playing at being fatally wounded and eliciting a delighted laugh from the young woman. Agnes reached for the basket on Raffi’s arm, the two of them now animatedly talking about something Picard couldn’t even guess at. There truly was no better word to describe the atmosphere than _familial._ Six individuals whose lives would never have intersected in such a way had it not been for his interference. Try as he might, he couldn’t argue Raffi’s logic. And so he decided that maybe, at least this once, he would humbly accept that he did in fact have a role in this. That even without meaning it, every action he had taken since Dahj came into his life contributed to this moment, spoke to the happiness that was now allowed these six precious, irreplaceable individuals.

“Picard!” Elnor called joyfully. “Come join us! Our table is incomplete without you!”

_Perhaps_ , he thought as he rose from his seat with a grin. _Perhaps it is actually seven._

**Author's Note:**

> Every action we take, no matter how small, speaks, and can have effects on others that we may never know about. Even when it feels like nothing ever comes of it, no matter how hard we try, remember that someone somewhere values who you are. <3


End file.
